Food Stamps

Just like healthcare, I think food is a basic human right. However, it greatly concerns me to see so many young people who are either pre-diabetic or who have Type 2 diabetics. Type 2 diabetes is partly preventable by staying a normal weight, exercising regularly, and eating properly. Rates of type 2 diabetes have increased markedly since 1960 in parallel with obesity. Type 2 diabetes is associated with a ten-year-shorter life expectancy

Therefore, I want to see certain nutrition standards for the SNAP program. In general I want to see an increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat free milk in meals. I would like to see additional funding grants allocated to help local communities figure out how to make healthier foods more affordable for those who rely on food stamps. Some ideas include: Partnering with local farmers’ markets to make food stamps worth double when buying local goods. After school programs which help kids learn how to cook and make healthier decisions in the kitchen. Working with non-profits to establish community gardens or local grocery stores in food deserts.

Gun Safety

I have hunted since I was 11 years old and I still enjoy it. I have shot deer, moose, quail, ducks, geese, partridge, and pheasants. I currently own a shot gun, a .270, and a .22. While I was in the Army, I shot an M-16, an M-60, and a .45.

I have no problem with people owning a firearm to hunt or to defend themselves and their families. But neither do I have a problem with making gun ownership and use as safe as possible. Accordingly, I am in favor of:

universal background checks for all gun purchases

an assault weapon ban

restrictions on the number of rounds that can be carried in a clip

outlawing armor piercing rounds.

Legalization and Taxation of Marijuana

We tried prohibiting the sale and use of alcohol (a drug), and that did not work. Neither can we stop the sale and use of marijuana (another drug). I would vote to legalize marijuana and tax rate it at a rate sufficient to cover the costs of regulating it and dealing with any problems caused by its use.

LGBTQ Equality

Absolutely. Get government out of our bedrooms and our bathrooms. Let people love who they love. That’s it.

Abortion

This is a tough one for me. I am personally not an advocate of abortion but, to me, abortion should be both legal and rare. The decision to have or not to have an abortion is a very personal decision that each woman has to make for herself. Therefore, I would not make abortions any more difficult to obtain. I am also a strong advocate of birth control, because the best way to avoid an abortion is to not get pregnant. So, I would not change our abortion laws and I would absolutely fully fund Planned Parenthood.